Thursday, June 3, 2021

State lawmakers are currently deliberating over a proposal for how to distribute federal resources to frontline workers who risked their lives during the COVID-19 crisis. The governor and legislative leaders need to hear that real hazard pay, not lip service, is how they can respect the sacrifice of the pandemic’s “heroes.”
Will you take 30 seconds to send a message urging federal COVID-19 relief dollars for essential workers?
The current legislative proposal would provide $1 per hour for the past year — $2,080.00 for full-time essential workers. The federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act would fund this hazard pay initiative – in other words, at no cost to Connecticut taxpayers. While this is amount is probably less than is deserved for all of the front line essential employees, the governor’s has proposed an inferior alternative plan for state employees that would pay them even less.
Time is short. Legislative leaders have only one week before adjourning the regular 2021 session. The time to act is now.